Optional deodorant dispenser for vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

A dust and dirt collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner includes a porous bag defining a dust and dirt collecting enclosure. A releasing strip is disposed on an outer surface of the bag for releasing an active agent (such as a deodorant) into air passing through the vacuum cleaner. A covering associated with the releasing strip is switchable from a first condition blocking release of the active agent by the releasing strip to a second condition enabling release of the active agent by the releasing strip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to replaceable vacuum cleaner bags and,more particularly, to a replaceable vacuum cleaner bag which optionallyadds deodorant to the air passing therethrough.

Several products are available that allow the users of vacuum cleanerswith disposable vacuum cleaner bags to add an active ingredient to theair which is filtered by their vacuum cleaners. The active ingredientis, broadly speaking, a deodorant. As used herein the term "deodorant"includes true deodorants (which actually neutralize the offendingsmells), re-odorants (which do not actually neutralize the offensivesmells, but rather add more acceptable fragrances into the air to maskthe offending smells) and disinfectants (which through theirantibacterial activities tend to eliminate the source of the offendingsmells).

Previous efforts to develop disposable vacuum cleaner bags which woulddispense such active ingredients as deodorants into filtered effluents(such as the air passing through the vacuum cleaner) have apparentlyencountered at least two difficulties: the requirement that theeffective action of the active ingredients must be sustained overextended periods of time (including store shelf storage prior topurchase and home storage prior to initial use), and the unacceptablyhigh expenses involved in uniformly applying the requisite highsaturation levels of expensive active ingredients.

From a commercial point of view, while most prospective customers willbe attracted by the capability of dispensing an active ingredient suchas a deodorant into the air passing through the vacuum cleaner, thereare those who, at least at one time or another, as a matter ofpreference or for health reasons, would prefer not to release the activeingredient into such air. While the manufacturer of the bag could maketwo different bags--one which dispenses the active ingredient andanother which does not--the economics of manufacturing two productsversus one product and the competition for shelf space in the retailsales outlets suggest the advantages of a single product which will orwill not dispense the active ingredient into the air, as desired by theultimate user. In other words, despite the extra expense involved inadding to the air an active agent dispenser to each vacuum cleaner bag,it is more economical and makes better business sense to make a singleproduct which affords the ultimate user the option of adding the activeingredient or not, as he/she wishes, than to have to manufacture, ship,and stock two different products, one with the dispenser and onewithout.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide adisposable vacuum cleaner bag which, at the option of the ultimate user,either will or will not release an active agent into the air passingthrough the vacuum cleaner.

Another object is to provide such a bag which does not release theactive agent until the decision of the ultimate user and therefore doesnot waste the active ingredient during storage prior to initial use(both prior to and after purchase).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that the above and related objects of the presentinvention are obtained in a dust and dirt collecting apparatus for avacuum cleaner comprising a porous bag defining a dust and dirtcollection enclosure. A releasing means is disposed on an outer surfaceof the bag for releasing an active agent (e.g., a deodorant) into airpassing through the vacuum cleaner, and means associated with thereleasing means is switchable from a first condition blocking release ofthe active agent by the releasing means to a second condition enablingrelease of the active agent by the releasing means.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the releasing meansincludes a porous substrate and the active agent thereon. The bag has anouter surface, and the substrate is secured to the bag outer surface.The releasing means has an outer surface, and the associated means is astrip having on an inner surface thereof a porous substrate releasablyadhesively secured to the outer surface of the releasing means.Air-tight microcapsules containing the active agent are part of thereleasing means and are secured to the associated means such thatswitching of the associated means from the first condition to the secondcondition ruptures the microcapsules to release the active agenttherefrom.

Preferably the bag defines an air inlet, and the releasing means isdisposed adjacent the bag air inlet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and related objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be more fully understood by reference to the followingdetailed description of the presently preferred, albeit illustrative,embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a vacuum cleaner with a disposable bagaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the bag;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bag;

FIG. 4 is a back elevational view of the bag; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary back elevational view of the bag to an enlargedscale and with the associated means partially removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Contemporary vacuum cleaners from a variety of manufacturers employ avariety of configurations of disposable filter paper vacuum cleaner bagswith design configurations that will vary dependent on such factors aswhether the vacuum cleaner employing the air-porous bag is an upright orcanister style vacuum cleaner configuration, and, if an upright design,then whether the dust and dirt is top-filled into the bag or is blown upinto the bag. Air containing this dust and dirt is directed into theinterior of the bag through a tube which extends from the impeller ofthe vacuum cleaner. The pressure of the air injected into the bag fromthe tube is greater than atmospheric pressure, which causes the air inthe bag's interior to escape as an effluent flow from the bag by passingthrough the porous filter material of the bag. The bag is retained bythe tube by means of a restraining ring or other bag-positioning device.The pattern of pressures and rates of flow of air effluent from the bagwill be contingent on a variety of factors, including: the amount ofdirt retained in the bag; the air flow impedances or resistance imposedby the shape and size of the chamber of container in which the bag isretained; the design of the vacuum cleaner; the degree of coarseness andfibrous content of the dirt and other materials within the dust and dirtcollecting enclosure inside the bag after it has been in use; theweight, thickness, and porosity of the filter paper material; and thepattern of construction of the bag itself.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof,therein illustrated is a vacuum cleaner, generally designated by thereference numeral 10, including a dust and dirt collecting apparatusaccording to the present invention, generally designated 12. Theapparatus 12 comprises a porous bag defining a dust and dirt collectingenclosure 14. The bag 12 is preferably a disposable paper filter vacuumcleaner bag of one of the configurations described above, the bag 12further defining the dust and dirt collecting enclosure 14 therewithin,an outer surface 16 therewithout and an air inlet 18 leading into theenclosure 14. As best seen in FIG. 2, a stiffener 19, such as cardboard,may be secured to bag 12 about the air inlet 18 to facilitate operativeconnection of the bag air inlet 18 to the vacuum cleaner 10.

Disposed on the bag outer surface 16 is a releasing means 20 forreleasing an active agent into the air passing through the vacuumcleaner 10 (the air flow being indicated by arrows 22). As best seen inFIG. 5, the releasing means 20 typically comprises a porous substrate 24having the active agent thereon or therein and an outer surface 26. Thesubstrate 24 is preferably secured to the bag outer surface 16 by anadhesive (optimally a porous adhesive), sewing, or the like. Preferablythe releasing means 20 is permanently secured to the bag outer surface16 so that it cannot be separated therefrom, and may in fact form a partof the surface of the dust and dirt collecting enclosure 14. While thereleasing means 20 may be disposed anywhere on the bag outer surface 16,it is preferably disposed adjacent the bag air inlet 18 (e.g., oppositethereto). In this manner, the air flow through the releasing means 20does not diminish as the bag begins to fill with dust and dirt and, forreasons which will be apparent hereinafter, the releasing means 20 is inready view of the ultimate user when he/she places the bag 12 in thevacuum cleaner 10.

An active ingredient is (or active ingredients are) released from thereleasing means 20 into the effluent material which has passedtherethrough. The active ingredient can be defined as a functionalingredient or an ingredient which is released from the material of thereleasing means to perform some function. Thus, for example, when theactive ingredient is used primarily to re-odorize or deodorize the airpassing through the filter paper of a disposable vacuum cleaner bag, theactive ingredients might comprise essential oils (such as pine oil,thyme oil or lemon oil), while necessary but secondary functions mightcall for inclusion of such ingredients as flame-retardant antioxidationagents to prevent spontaneous combustion of these oils (such as organicsalts, ammonium sulfamate, zinc borate, antimony oxychlorendicanhydride, alumina trihydrate, organic phosphates and phosphonates),food preservative agents to prevent rancidification of the essentialoils (such as calcium propionate, calcium disodium EDTA, sodiumbenzoate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium phosphate, citric acid,ascorbic acid, BHA, and BHT), anti-bacterial, bactericidal, orbacteriostatic agents to further retard the rancidification of theessential oils (such as phenolic compounds, alcohols, aldehydes such asformaldehyde, propionic and benzoic acids, halogenated compoundsincluding chlorine, hypochlorite, and lodine, salts of such metals ascopper and mercury, including organic mercurials, and surfactants likebenzalkonium and cetylpyridinium), other stabilizers and extenders ofthe oils (such as dyes, drying oils like soybean and cottonseed, mineraloils such as dipropylene glycol, petrolatum and glycerine, andalcohols), or any compound or solution of these ingredients. An activeingredient might be a bacteriostatic or antibacterial disinfectingagent, such as pine oil or thyme oil, by itself.

It is a critical feature of the present invention that there be means,generally designated 30, functionally associated with the releasingmeans 20 and switchable from a first condition blocking release of theactive agent by the releasing means 20 to a second condition enablingrelease of the active agent by the releasing means 20.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the associated means30 is a strip having a porous substrate 32 with an inner surface 34, andan outer surface 36, and a tab 38 to facilitate removal of strip 30 fromthe releasing means 20. In the first condition referenced above, exceptfor tab 38, the inner surface 34 is releasably secured to the outersurface 26 of the releasing means 20. Thus even when the associatedmeans 30 is in place on the releasing means 20 in order to preventrelease of the active agent into the air passing through the vacuumcleaner 12, air from the bag enclosure 14 can pass through the releasingmeans 20 and associated means 30, so that there is no diminishment ofthe air flow capacity of the bag 12. The active ingredient is disposedon the releasing means substrate 24 as microcapsules. The microcapsulesare part of the releasing means 20, but are also secured to theassociated means 30 so that, when the associated means 30 is displacedfrom the releasing means 20 by the ultimate consumer (i.e., forced toassume the second condition referenced above), the microcapsules ruptureand release the active ingredient into the air.

Microcapsules come in a wide variety of different configurations andsizes, including microtubules, microspheres, polymer inclusions, and thelike, for example, as taught by many patents of the 3M Company. Theactive agents most commonly encapsulated are inks and perfumes. Indeed,fragrance samplers included in magazines and the like typically includesuch microcapsules filled with scent and disposed intermediate a pair ofopposing substrates, with different portions of each microcapsule beingsecured to each of the substrates so that, when the substrates areeventually separated by the reader, the microcapsules break and releasethe scent. For the purposes of the present invention, the substrates arepreferably porous to air. There exists a wide variety of manufacturingtechniques for creating such microcapsules secured to differentsubstrates, for adjusting the force required to separate the substrates,for selecting the appropriate polymer materials for encapsulatingparticular active agents, etc. These techniques are well known in themicro-encapsulation art and hence need be set forth herein in furtherdetail.

The associated means 30 may take any of a wide variety of differentforms. For example, it may simply be a non-porous strip which is securedon or over a portion of the releasing means outer surface 26 so as topreclude, or at least minimize, air flow through the releasing means 20.When such non-porous associated means are disposed on or over thereleasing means 20, there is little, if any, air flow through thereleasing means 20 and hence no release of the active ingredient intothe air. On the other hand, when the associated means 30 is removed fromthe releasing means 20 and its environment, air flow is enabled throughthe releasing means 20 so that the active ingredient enters the airpassing through the vacuum cleaner 12. The disadvantage of thistechnique is that in the event the ultimate user does not wish to havethe active ingredient enter the air flow, then the effectively poroussurface area of the bag 12 has been diminished by the area occupied bythe associated means 30. A further disadvantage of this technique isthat the active agent escapes from the sides of the releasing means 20due to the air pressure within the bag enclosure 14, thus providing somelevel of active agent in the air passing through the vacuum cleaner,albeit at a reduced level. On the other hand, this technique lendsitself to reversibility with the associated means being replaceable overthe releasing means 20, thereby affording the ultimate user the optionto have the active ingredient in the air passing through the vacuumcleaner at selected times and not at other times.

To summarize, the present invention provides a disposable vacuum cleanerbag which, at the option of the ultimate user, either will or will notrelease an active agent (such as a deodorant, disinfectant or the like)into the air passing through the vacuum cleaner. The bag does notrelease the active agent until activated by the ultimate user andtherefore does not waste the active ingredient during storage prior toinitial use (either prior to or after purchase).

Now that the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described in detail, various modifications and improvementsthereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is to beconstrued broadly and limited only by the appended claims, and not bythe foregoing specification.

I claim:
 1. A dust and dirt collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner,comprising:(A) a porous bag defining a dust and dirt collectingenclosure; (B) releasing means disposed on an outer surface of said bagfor releasing an active agent into air passing through the vacuumcleaner; and (C) means associated with said releasing means andswitchable from a first condition blocking release of the active agentby said releasing means to a second condition enabling release of theactive agent by said releasing means.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said releasing means includes a porous substrate and the activeagent thereon.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said bag has anouter surface, and said substrate is secured to said bag outer surface.4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said releasing means has an outersurface, and said associated means is a strip having on an inner surfacethereof a porous substrate releasably adhesively secured to said outersurface of said releasing means.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 whereinair-tight microcapsules containing the active agent are part of saidreleasing means and are secured to said associated means such thatswitching of said associated means from said first condition to saidsecond condition ruptures said microcapsules to release the active agenttherefrom.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said releasing means hasan outer surface and said associated means is a strip having on an innersurface thereof a porous substrate releasably adhesively secured to saidouter surface of said releasing means.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said bag defines an air inlet, and said releasing means isdisposed adjacent said bag air inlet.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the active agent is located within air-tight microcapsulesdisposed on said releasing means and secured to said associated meanssuch that switching of said associated means from said first conditionto said second condition ruptures said microcapsules to release theactive agent therefrom.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the activeagent is a deodorant.
 10. A dust and dirt collecting apparatus for avacuum cleaner, comprising:(A) a porous bag defining an outer surface, adust and dirt collecting enclosure, and an air inlet; (B) releasingmeans disposed on said bag outer surface adjacent said bag air inlet forreleasing an active agent including a deodorant into air passing throughthe vacuum cleaner, said releasing means including a porous substratesecured to said bag outer surface, the active agent thereon, and anouter surface; and (C) means associated with said releasing means andswitchable from a first condition blocking release of the active agentby said releasing means to a second condition enabling release of theactive agent by said releasing means, said associated means including astrip having on an inner surface thereof a porous substrate releasablyadhesively secured to said outer surface of said releasing means;air-tight microcapsules containing the active agent being part of saidreleasing means and being secured to said associated means such thatswitching of said associated means from said first condition to saidsecond condition ruptures said microcapsules to release the active agenttherefrom.